Customer Due Diligence (CDD): Importance and methods of CDD in preventing financial crimes.

by devicomply | Jun 19, 2024 | Blog, iComply Insights, KYB - Know Your Business, KYC - Know Your Customer, Solutions

Customer Due Diligence (CDD) is a crucial process in client and corporate onboarding. It helps businesses verify the identity of their customers, assess potential risks, and comply with regulatory requirements.

What is CDD?

CDD involves collecting and verifying customer information to ensure they are who they claim to be and to understand the potential risks associated with them.

CDD Methods

• Identity Verification: Verify the customer’s identity using government-issued identification, such as a passport or driver’s license.
• Document Verification: Verify the authenticity of documents provided by the customer, such as proof of address or business registration documents.
• Background Checks: Conduct background checks to gather additional information about the customer, such as their criminal history or credit score.
• Sanctions Screening: Screen the customer against sanctions lists to ensure they are not associated with any prohibited activities.
• Adverse Media Screening: Search for negative news or media coverage about the customer to identify any potential risks.

CDD in Client Onboarding

CDD is essential in client onboarding to prevent fraud and other financial crimes. It helps businesses:

• Verify the identity of their clients.
• Assess the risk level of their clients.
• Comply with KYC and AML regulations.

CDD in Corporate Onboarding

CDD in corporate onboarding involves verifying the identity of the company and its beneficial owners. This helps businesses:

• Understand the ownership structure of the company.
• Identify any politically exposed persons (PEPs) associated with the company.
• Assess the risk level of the company.

Benefits of CDD

• Reduced Risk: Identify and mitigate potential risks associated with customers.
• Improved Compliance: Ensure compliance with KYC and AML regulations.
• Enhanced Customer Experience: Provide a seamless and efficient onboarding experience.
• Increased Efficiency: Optimize your onboarding process and reduce manual effort.

iComply’s CDD Solution

iComply offers a comprehensive CDD solution that can help businesses streamline their CDD process and ensure compliance with regulations. Our KYC and KYB modules include features such as:

• Automated CDD checks
• Real-time risk assessment
• Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD) for high-risk customers
• Ongoing monitoring

Here’s how iComply can help:

Imagine a compliance officer needs to onboard a new corporate client. Using iComply’s KYB module, they can automate the collection and verification of corporate documents, perform real-time risk assessments on the company and its beneficial owners, and even conduct Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD) if necessary. This streamlined process not only saves time but also ensures compliance with regulatory requirements.